Why Thoughtful People Stop Writing and How to Begin Again
By Clare Barry
For many people doing important work in complex systems, writing has become another task to get right. But what if it could be something else?
Lately I’ve noticed how many thoughtful people feel blocked when it comes to writing. Emails take too long. Reports get rewritten again and again. The post you meant to share still sits in drafts.
You’re tired of second-guessing yourself or sounding more certain than you feel. This is what happens when writing stops being a place to think and starts feeling like a performance.
How writing became so hard
In many workplaces, writing is expected to deliver clarity, output and visibility quickly. We’re told to write for action, not reflection. To focus on what’s strategic and what demonstrates the greatest impact.
That pressure to get it right can silence even the most thoughtful people.
We try to sound certain before we’ve had time to think. In doing so, we risk cutting out the nuance that matters.
A different way to approach writing
What if writing could be useful even when it’s unfinished?
A way to:
untangle your thinking
shape early ideas
notice quiet shifts before you're ready to share them
Writing can be a kind of unofficial meditation. You sit down, notice what’s here and keep going. It doesn’t need to be polished or public to be valuable.
Sometimes a scribbled note in your journal, a sentence caught on a walk or a thought in the margins is enough to move you forward.
What helps me think clearly
When I feel stuck or foggy, I walk. Then I write in fragments — in the margins of books, on receipts, in the Notes app. I write short pages no one will ever read. Sometimes I turn them into zines. Often I don’t.
This isn’t about becoming a better writer. It’s how I make space to think, reflect and feel more grounded in my work.
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Write Your Way Into What’s Next
Writing for Change is a live, small-group programme to help you shape your ideas and write with more clarity and confidence. Find out more.